Mexican Ricotta Croquettes

By lorik

Ingredients

• For the Chipotle-Honey Salsa:
• 4 plum tomatoes, cored
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 ⁄2 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 2 cilantro sprigs
• 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• For the Ricotta Latkes:
• 1 cup requeson (Mexican ricotta) or ricotta cheese
• 1 cup queso cremita, such as Tropical brand
• 1 cup finely crumbled cotija cheese
• 1 cup Chihuahua or mozzarella cheese
• 1 ⁄2 cup softened cream cheese
• 1 ⁄2 cup matzo meal
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• vegetable oil, for frying

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from saveur.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the chipotle-honey salsa: Heat the broiler. In a roasting pan, combine the tomatoes with the garlic and onion, then toss with the oil and season with salt. Broil, turning the vegetables as needed, until lightly blackened all over, about 6 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer the vegetables to a food processor along with the honey, vinegar, cilantro, and chiles and adobo sauce and pulse until smooth.

Make the latkes: In a large bowl, combine the all 5 cheese with the matzo meal, butter and eggs and then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop, portion out balls of cheese, roll them in your hands to smooth, then coat them in the bread crumbs.

Pour enough oil into a 6-qt. Dutch oven to come 2 inches up the side and heat to 350° on a deep-fry thermometer. Working with 6 balls at a time, add the latkes to the oil and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the latkes on paper towels and serve immediately with the chipotle-honey salsa.